Click this link to hear an audio version of the below text narrated by SOTH member Jerry Rhinehart:
Matthew 26:31-35 (NIV)
Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial
31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” 33 Peter replied, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” 34 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” 35 But Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the other disciples said the same.
Sometimes you just have to feel bad for Peter. His greatest failures are on full display in the Gospels! In this passage, he believes that he is “all in” for Jesus. He even claims that he would die for him. Instead, Peter denies Jesus in his greatest hour of need. But Peter’s problem was that he did not fully understand that Jesus was “all in” for him! That is where discipleship starts! We will never be able to risk everything for Jesus until we fully understand how much Jesus has risked for us. When we focus on our devotion to Jesus we often miss his devotion to us. The good news is that, like Peter, we have a Savior who loves us and cares for us so deeply that even when our devotion fails his devotion lifts us up again!